Door operating mechanism



Oct. 24, 1933. M. w TALEN 1,932,199

DOOR OPERATING IECHANISI Filed Feb. 12, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 24, 1933.

M. w. TALEN DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 12, 1932 Oct. 24, 1933. M. w. TALEN 1,932,199

DQOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 12. 1932 4 Sheets-Shed 4 1/15 flrroeum Patented, Oct. 24, 1933 UNITED STATES DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Mauritz W. Talen, St.

Louis, Mo., assignor to Security Fire Door Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application February 12,

13 Claims.

This invention relates to door operating mecha nism, particularly to' motor driven operating mechanism for sliding elevator doors. In present day elevator construction; it is customary to have the elevator shaft doors arranged to release a safety switch in the control circuit of the elevator when they are opened so that the elevator cannot be operated unless the doors are completely closed; and the principal object of the present invention is to provide a door operating mechanism that will close a door quickly, that will retard the movement thereof near the end of its travel to prevent unnecessary noise and injury to the mechanism and that will insure a complete closing of the door. Other objects are simplicity and cheapness of construction, fewness of parts and compactness of design.

The invention consists principally in reversing the door operating motor for checking the speed of the door near the end of its closing movement and then starting up the motor again in its other direction to make sure that the door will close.

completely. The invention also consists in the construction, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings which form part of this specification and wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur,

Fig. 1 is an interior side elevation of the door side of an elevator shaft and penthouse showing doors at two floors equipped with operating mechanisms embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view on'an enlarged scale of the upper left hand side of Fig. 1 showing the arrangement of the parts of the door operating mechanisms that are located in the penthouse;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the construction shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary interior side View of the door side of the shaft showingthe arrangement of sprockets and sprocket chains for driving the doors adjacent to one ofthe upper corners of each door;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary interior side view of the door side of the shaft'showing the bracket for supporting the motor and gearing for driving the door sprocket on one side of each door;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal 'cross-section'along the line 6-6 in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic View showing the- 1932. Serial No. 592,543 (01. 268-59) line 11 -11 in Fig. 8;

Fig. 12 is a horizontal cross-section along line 12-12 in Fig. 8; and

Fig. 13 is a wiring diagram showing the location of the combined reversing and limit switches in the electric circuit for controlling the door operating motors.

In the accompanying drawings, my invention is shown in connection with an ordinary freight elevator comprising a shaft A having door openings B at each floor and having a penthouse C at the top of the shaft. Each door opening 13 is closed by means of a door preferably of the vertical sliding, center-parting, counter-balanced type. The door comprises upper and lower sliding sections D and E respectively, that are provided along each vertical edge with an angle bar side frame member 1 slidably arranged in angle bar door guides 2 that are rigidly secured to each other and to the wall of the shaft A. The upper and lower door sections are hung on sprocket chains 3 with pass-over sprockets 4 and 4a located within the shaft A adjacent to the upper corners of the upper door section D. One end of each door chain 3 is suitablyconnected to the adjacent lower corner of the upper door section D and the other end of said chain is connected to the top of an upright rod 5, having its lower end secured to the outer end of an arm 6 that'projects horizontally from the adjacent upper corner of said lower door section. By this arrangement, one door section serves to balance the other door section, and the two sections are adapted for simultaneous movement towards and away from each other; and the elevator construction thus far described is well known and it is considered unnecessary to illustrate it in detail.

, The'door on each floor is opened and closed by a separate door operating mechanism comprising an electric motor, preferably a reversible torque motor F which may be stalled under load for several minutes without injury. The motor F is mounted on a bracket '7 that is rigidly secured to the door guides 2 adjacent to the door supporting sprocket 4. The motor F is disposed with it's armature shaft 8 horizontal; and a pinion 9 is fixed on the outer end of the armature shaft and meshes with a gear 10 fixed to one end of a horizontal shaft 11 whose opposite end has a pinion 12 fixed thereto which drives a spur gear 13 fixed to the door supporting sprocket 4. The gearing just described is enclosed within a suitable lubricant retaining housing 14 mounted on the motor supporting bracket '7. The door Fig. 11 is a vertical cross-section along the the 1 supporting sprocket 4 is fixed to a shaft 15 that is journaled in suitable antifriction bearings provid d therefor in the gear housing 14 and in a bracket 70 formed integral with the motor supporting bracket 7.

The shaft of each door supporting sprocket 4 extends through the motor supporting bracket 7 into a horizontal channel 16 which is formed in the interior surface of the front wall of the shaft A just above the top of the door opening 13 and has a sprocket 1'1 fixed thereto which drives an endless sprocket chain 18. The sprocket chain 18 extends across the elevator shaft to the opposite side of the door opening B where it is trained around an idler sprocket 19 mounted in a bracket 20 secured to the adjacent side wall of said shaft adjacent to the door supporting sprocket 4a. The door supporting sprocket 4a is mounted on a horizontal shaft 21 supported in a bracket 22 fixed to the adjacent door guide 2 and has a sprocket 23 secured thereto which is located below and is driven by the lower stretch of the endless sprocket chain 18.

The operation of each door throughout the shaft A is controlled by two combined reversing and limit switches G that are coupled in the circuit for controlling the motors F. These switches G are spaced apart and are mounted. one above the other, on the side wall of the pent- Said switches are actuated .by a cam plate H which is fastened to a bracket 24 that is secured to an I-shaped weight 25 which is slidably mounted on twospaced oppositely disposed vertical angles 26 that are secured to angle bracketc 27 which are secured to the side wall of the penthouse; and said angles 26 which constitute a slideway for the weight 25 are located in such position that said weight 25 is capable of travcling up and down between points adjacent to the upper and lower switches G, respectively. Attached to the top of said weight 25 is a chain 28 that passes over a sheave 29 which is rotatably mounted in a sheave supporting bracket 30 located above the top of the weight slideway and secured to the penthouse wall. The other end of said chain 28 has a steel tape 31 attached thereto which extends downwardly through a hole 32 provided therefor in the floor of the penthouse This steel tape 31 extends throughout the length of the elevator shaft and passes through holes 33 in small brackets 34 that are mounted on and secured; to the door arm 6 of the lower dooi section E of each door; and a bob weight 35, that is lighter than the weight 25in the penthouse, is fastened to the lower end of said steel tape 31 near the bottom of said shaft. Secured to said steel tape 31 below each door arm bracket 34 isan abutment member 36 adapted to engage the underside of said door arm bracket 34; and when all of the doors are closed these abutment members 36 hold the penthouse weight at its lower end of travel as shown in the drawings.

The two combined switches G are of similar construction. Each switch G comprises a box 37 in which is journalled a horizontal shaft 38 having an actuating arm or lever 39 which pro- J'ects into the path of the cam plate H and carries a roller 40 at its free outer end adapted to be engaged by said cam plate. Fastened to the shaft 38 is an upright lever 41 whose lower arm carries an insulated contact bar 42, which forms one element of a limit switch. The other element of the limit switch comprises two vertically spaced contact posts 43 that project horizontally from the wall of the switch box. A suitable coil spring 44 isintcrposed between the wall of the switch box and the upper arm of the lever 41 and normally tends to force said lever in a direction that will maintain contact between the bar 42 and the two posts 43.

Another upright lever 45 is pivotally mounted in the switch box 37, as at 46, for vertically swinging movement alongside of the lever 41. The upper arm of the lever 45 is provided with an insulated contact bar 47 which forms one element of a reversing switch. The other element of the reversing switch comprises two vertically spaced contact posts 48 that project horizontally from the switch box 37. Interposed between the lower arm of the lever 45 and the adjacent wall of the switch box 37 is a coil spring 49 that normally tends to force said lever in a direction that will cause its contact bar 4''! to engage the contact posts 48. The upper arm of the lever 41 has a lateral extension 50 which over-laps the lower arm of the lever 45 and the coil spring 44 is made considerably stronger than the coil spring 49 and thus forces the lateral extension of the lever 41 against the lower arm of the lever 45 with a force sufficient to hold the contact bar 47 of the reversing switch out of contact with the two fixed contact posts 48 thereof. The upper arm of the lever 45 is also provided with a lateral extension 51 that over-laps the lower arm of the lever 41 and is provided with a screw 52 adapted to bear against the lever 41. This screw may be adjusted to vary the space between the end of said screw and the lever 41.

The cam plate H, fastened to the slidably mounted weight 25 in the penthouse, comprises upper and lower inclined end portions 53 and 53a, respectively, that are connected by an intermediate vertical portion 54 having a pocket or recess 55 adjacent to the lower inclined end portion 53a. which recess 55 is adapted to receive the roller 40 on the end of the actuating arm 39 of the lower switch G when all of the doors are closed. Another cam plate I (see Fig. 13) is mounted on the outside of the elevator car in position to engage actuating arms 56 of zone switches J located at each floor for selecting the particular motor F that drives the door at the particular floor at which the elevator is stationed. Each of the zone switches J comprises three movable contact bars 57 which are respectively adapted to close a gap between three pairs or sets of vertically spaced fixed contact posts 58.

When all of the doors are entirely closed, both the upper and lower switches G have their limit switches closed and their reversing switches held open by means of the springs 44. When any one of the doors is in open position, the cam plate H is in engagement with the actuating arm of the upper switch box and thus serves to overcome the action of the spring 44 and to open both the limit and the reversing switches.

When power is applied to the motor F to open the particular door operated thereby, the lower door section D will move downwardly causing the door arm bracket 34 to engage the adjacent abutment member 36 and thus pull the steel tape 31 downwardly causing the slidable weight 25 in the penthouse carrying the cam plate H to be pulled upwardly until the inclined upper end portion 53 of said cam plate H engages the roller 40 on the actuating arm 39 of the upper combination switch G and thus forces said arm 39 to swing in a clock-wise direction. This swinging movement of said arm 39 rotates the rock shaft 38 and the upper lever 41 thereon in a direction that will cause the contact bar 42 of the limit switch to be disengaged from the fixed contacts 43 thereof, At the same time the lateral extension 50 of the lever 41 will swing away from the lower arm of the second rock lever 45 and permit the compression spring 49 to swing the lever 45 in a direction that will cause the contact bar 47 of the reversing switch to contact with the fixed contacts 48 and thus close said switch and reverse the motor. This reversing of the motor will check theopening movement of the door sections until the rock lever 41 strikes the-screw 52 carried by the lateral e'xtension51 of the rock lever 45 and thus rocks the latter in a direction that will disengage the contact bar 47 of the reversing switch from the fixed contacts 48 thereof, thereby opening said reversing switch and stopping the motor.

When power is applied to the motor F to close the door, the lower door section will move upwardly and since the slidably mounted weight 25 in the penthouse is heavier than the bob weight 35, said weight 25 will slide downwardly until the lower inclined end portion of the cam plateengages the roller 40 of the actuating arm 39 of the lower combination switch; and the same operations take place as in the case of the opera- 25' the switch moves into the pocket 55 in the cam plate and thus allows the spring 44 to close the limit switch thereby permitting power to again flow through the motor F to operate the door so that it will close completely.

For the purpose of describing the arrangement and operation of the electrical wiring system and controlling devices coupled thereto which are used in connection with my door operating mechanism, it may be well to divide such into two groups, namely, the wires and devices comprising a power circuit and those comprising a control circuit; and in Fig. 13 the wires of the power circuit are made comparatively heavier than those of the control circuit. Preferably, the

wires leading to the two switches G are contained in a vertical pipe 59 extending between them and in a horizontal pipe 69 communicating with said from said control box 61 by another pipe 62 that passes through a hole 63 in thepenthouse floor.

In the drawings, this pipe 62 is shown broken off 'just below the penthouse floor, but it is obvious that it extends down through the elevator shaft A in any suitable manner;

Both the power circult and the control circuit are operatively coupled to three main power lines, L1, L2 and L3, respectively, of a three face alternating current circuitt Included in the power circuit is a magnetic switch K coupled to the three main power lines. A second magnetic switch L is also coupled to said power lines so as to reverse the current in two phases from that of switch K; and said switch K is arranged to start the motors F to open the doors, whereas switch L is arranged to start said motors to close the doors. A wire 64 is connected to the middle terminal of the switch K and to one terminal of each motor F. Another wire 64a is connected to the middle terminal of the switch L and to the wire 64. Other wires 65 and 66 are respectively con nected to the two remaining terminals of the magnetic switchK and to one contact post 58 at one side of two of the pairs of contact posts of each zone switch J. Other wires 65a and 66a are respectively connected to the two remaining terminals of the magnetic switch L and to the wires 65 and 66; and the opposite contact posts 58 of said zone switches are connected to the two remaining terminals of the motors F by wires 67 and 67a, respectively. This completes the power circuit.

Referring to the control circuit, a wire 68 is connected to the power line L2 and to one contact post 58 of the remaining pair thereof of each zone switch J. Another wire 69 is connected to the opposite remaining contact post 58 of each zone switch, and to one contact terminal of a push button stop switch M which is located one push button control panel, generally designated as N, and located in the elevator car. Another wire 70 is connected to the opposite contact terminal of said push button-stop switch M and to one contact terminal of a closing push button switch (Land also to one contact terminal of w an opening push button switch P. Both the closing push button switch 0 and the opening push button switch P are located on the push button control panel N. The wire '70 is also connected to one terminal of a third magnetic switch R and also to one of the contact posts 48 of each of the reversing switch contact terminals of the upper and lower combination switches G. Another wire 71 is connected to the remaining contact terminal of the opening push button switch P and to one end of the magnetic coil of the switch R and also to one contact terminal thereof; and the opposite side of this magnetic coil is connected by a wire 72 to one contact post 43 of the door opening limit switch. The opposite contact post 43 of this limit switch is connected by a wire '73 to the power line L3; and a wire 74 is connected to the remaining contact terminal of the closing push button switch 0 and to one of the contact posts 43 of the door closing limit switch G. The opposite contact post 43 of this switch is connected by a wire '75 to a wire '76 connecting with the remaining contact post 48 of the door opening switch and this wire '15 is con-.

nected to one end of the magnetic coil of the magnetic-switch L; and the opposite side of this coil is connected to the power line L1 by a wire 7'1 which is also connected to one end of the magnetic coil of the magnetic switch K. The opposite end'of this coil is connected to the two remaining contact terminals on the one side of the magnetic switch R by a wire 78, and also connected to one of these contact terminalsv is a wire '19 that is connected to the remaining contact post 48 of the door closine limit switch.

When the elevator car. arrives opposite the door that is to be opened, the operator operates the door opening push button P. This causes power to flow between the main power lines L2 and L3, through wire 68 to the zone switch J,

through wire 69 to the stop push button N, through wire 70 to the opening push button switch P, through wire '71 to the coil of magnetic switch R, through wire '72 to the door opening limit switch, and through wire '73 to the power line L3. This energizes the coil of the magnetic switch R which closes the contacts thereof and this establishes a circuit from the stop push button M through the wires '70 and 78 to the coil of the magnetic switch K and through wire 7'7 to the power line L1 which energizes the coil of the magnetic switch K to close the contacts thereof and thus allows power to flow through the zone switch J to start the motor F to open the door.

The door then starts its opening movement, which movement continues until the penthouse oam plate H strikes the actuating lever of the door opening limit switch G which opens the circuit between wires 72 and 73. This interrupts the flow of power through the magnetic switch R by breaking contact between the wires 70 and 31 78 which interrupts the power flow through the magnetic coil of magnetic switch K thereby causing the contacts thereof to open which stops the motor F. The reversing switch contacts between the wires 70 and '76 of the combination switch G closes momentarily, due to its construction and mode of operation thereof as herebelow described and this allows power to flow between the power lines L2 and L1, through wire 68 to the zone switch J, through wire 69 to the stop push but- $9 ton M, through wire 70 to the opening reversing switch, through wire 76 to the coil of the mag netlc switch L, and through wire '77 to the power line L1; and this closes the contacts of the magnetic switch L thereby causing the motor F to .1 act in a reverse direction to check the speed of the door in the opening direction.

To close the door, the operator presses the closing push button switch 0; and it is to be noted in this connection, that the closing push '0'. button switch 0 is arranged so that it must be constantly depressed until the door is entirely closed, whereas only momentary pressure need be applied to the opening push button switch N as. the magnetic switch R prevents the magnetic 1; switch K from opening until the door is almost entirely open. When the closing button is depressed, power flows between the two main power lines L2 and L1, through wire 68 to the zone switch J, through wire 69 to the stop push butttzmn switch M, through wire 70 to the closing push button switch 0, through wire '74 to the closing limit switch, through wires and '76 to thecoil oi the magnetic switch L and through wire '17 to the power line L1. This energizes the 49 coil of the magnetic switch L which closes the contacts thereof to start the motor F to close the door. When the door is nearly closed the cam plate H actuates the operating arm of the lower combination switch G to open the contacts Ml? between the wires 74 and 75 which interrupts the flow of power through the coil of the magnetic switch L and thus breaks the contacts thereof thereby preventing the flow of power to the motor 1". The inward movement of the actuating arm of M? the switch G obviously causes momentary closing of the reversing switch between the wires 70 and 79 and thus allows power to flow through wires 79 and 78 to the coil of magnetic switch K which closes the contacts thereof and thus allows pow- .ier to flow through the zone switch J to the motor F in a reverse direction to retard the speed of the door. As the door continues to move in the closing direction, the roller on the actuatlever of the door closing combination switch 0 moves into the pocket 55 in the cam plate I! which again closes the circuit of the limit switch between the wires 74 and 75; and as the operator is holding the closing button 0 on the car in its closed position, power will then flow through the magnetic coil or the switch L until the door is entirely closed. Should the operator continue to hold the closing push button switch 0 in the inward position after the door is it completely closed, the motor will stall under the load which will, as previously stated, not harm a motor of the torque type construction.

Obviously, the above described door operating mechanism admits of considerable variation without departing from the spirit of my invention. For instance, while I have shown the combination switches located in the penthouse and operated by a continuous steel tape operatively associated with all of the doors, it may be feasible to use a pair of such switches at each door that are arranged to be actuated by the door itself. Furthermore, as numerous other changes may be made in the precise construction and location of the combination switches, door operating mechanism and motor control circuit illustrated, without departing from the spirit of my invention, I do not wish to limit this invention to the precise construction and arrangements shown and described.

What I claim is:

1. In a door operating mechanism, a door. an electric motor for opening and closing said door, an electric circuit for controlling the operation of said motor, and means in said circuit operable during the movement of said door in one direction for momentarily reversing the motor current, then momentarily cutting it of! and then allowing it to flow to the motor again in its original direction.

2. In a door operating mechanism, a door, an electric motor for opening and closing said door, an electric circuit for controlling the operation of said motor, and means in said circuit operable near the end of the closing movement of said door for momentarily reversing the motor current, then momentarily cutting it oil and then allowing it to flow to the motor again to close the door completely.

3. In a door operating mechanism, a door, an electric motor for opening and closing said door, an electric circuit containing said motor and means for controlling the direction of rotation of said motor in one direction to open the door and in the opposite direction to close said door, and means in said circuit for momentarily reversing the motor current and thcncutting it oil during the opening movement of said door, and means in said circuit operable during the closing movement of said door for momentarily reversing the motor current, then momentarily cutting it off and then allowing it to flow to the motor again to close the door completely.

4. In a door operating mechanism, a door, an electric motor for opening and closing said door, an electric circuit containing said motor and control means in said circuit operable by the movement of said door near the end of its closing movement for reversing the motor current, then cutting it off and then allowing it to flow to the motor again to close the door completely.

5 In a door operating mechanism, a door, an electric motor operatively connected to said door to open and close the same, an electric circuit containing said motor and means for controlling the direction of rotation of said motor in one direction to open the door and in the opposite direction to close said door, and means in said circuit for automatically momentarily reversing, then cutting oil the motor current as the door nears the end of its closing movement and then allowing current to again flow to the motor to close the door completely.

6. In a door operating mechanism, a door, an electric motor for opening and closing the door, an electric circuit containing said motor and control means in said circuit comprising a combined reversing and limit switch, and a single actuating arm operatively engaged by the door for actuating said combined switch for reversing the motor current, then cutting it off and then allowing it to flow to the motor again when the door nears the end of its closing movement.

'7. In a door operating mechanism, a door, an electric motor for opening and closing the door, an electric circuit for said motor, control means in said circuit operable during the closing move- I ment of said door, said means comprising a combined normally open reversing and normally closed limit switch, single actuating arm for opening the limit switch and closing the reversing switch in the order named, and means operable by the movement of said door for momentarily engaging the actuating arm of said combined switch to operate the same and thendisengaging said arm to release the same, to permit the limit switch to close and the reversing switch to open.

8. In a door operating mechanism, a door, an electric motor for opening and closing the door, an electric circuit for said motor, control means in said circuit comprising a combined normally open reversing and normally closed limit switch, an actuating arm having a roller on its end for opening the limit switch and closing the revers ing switch in the order named, and a cam operable by the movement of said door for engaging the roller for actuating said combined switch, said cam being of such shape that after it engages the roller on the actuating arm of the combined switch to actuate the same, it will permit the actuating arm to move in such position that it will close the limit switch and open the reversing switch.

9. In a door operating mechanism, a door, an electric motor for opening and closing the door, an electric circuit for said motor, manually operated control means in said circuit for starting the motor and keeping it running, and automatic control means in said circuit operable by the movement of said door near its closing movement for momentarily reversing the motor current, then cutting it off and then closing the circuit again, said automatic means being operable only when the manually operated switch is closed.

10. In a door operating mechanism, a door, an electric motor for opening and closing the door, an electric circuit for said motor, a manually operated normally open switch in said circuit, a combined reversing and limit switch in said circuit, an operating arm for opening the limit switch and closing the reversing switch in the order named, means operable during the closing movement of the door for automatically actuating said operating arm and then releasing the same to permit the limit switch to close and the reversing switchto open for closing the door completely only when the manually operated switch is closed.

11. In a door operating mechanism, a door, an electric motor for opening and closing said door, an electric circuit containing said motor and means for controling the direction of rotation of said motor in one direction to open said door and in the opposite direction to close said door and means in said circuit operable near the end or" the closing movement of said door for momentarily reversing, then cutting ofi said motor current and then permitting it to flow to the motor again, said means comprising a combined reversing and limit switch an actuating therefor, slidably mounted means for engaging said arm to actuate the switch and means connected to said slidably mounted means and operable by the movement of said door for operating said actuating means.

12. In a door operating mechanism, a door, an electric motor for opening and closing said door, an electric circuit containing said motor and means for controlling the direction of rotation of said motor in one direction to open said door and in the opposite direction to close said door and means in said circuit operable near the end of the opening and closing movements, respectively, of said door for momentarily reversing and then cutting off said motor current, said means comprising reversing and limit switches, operating arms therefor, a slidably mounted cam adapted to travel in a path adjacent to said switches forv engaging the operating arms thereof, and means connected to said cam and operatively engaged by said door for conjoint movement therewith.

13. In a door operatim mechanism, a door, an electric motor for opening and closing the door, an electric circuit for said motor, a com bined reversing and limit switch in said circuit, an operating arm for said switch, and a cam operable by the movement of said door and arranged to move toward said combined switch during the closing movement of the door, said cam having an inclined end portion for engaging the operating arm of said switchto open the limit switch and to close the reversing switch in the order named for momentarily reversing the motor current for checking the speed of the door, and said cam having a pocket for receiving the end of the operating arm of the switch to release the same to close the limit switch and open the reversing switch for starting up the motor 7 again for completely closing the door.

MAURITZ W. TALEN. 

